| Aptina Imaging Corporation Patent applications |
| Patent application number | Title | Published |
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| 20120092532 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PROVIDING A SWITCHABLE IMPEDANCE TO GROUND - This is generally directed to a switchable impedance to ground. In particular, a pixel array can be coupled to and surrounded by a ground ring. The ground ring can be coupled to a switchable impedance to ground. During a correlated double sampling (“CDS”) phase of the pixel array, the switchable impedance can be set to a high resistance value. For example, the switchable impedance can be set to 500 ohms. During an analog-to-digital conversion (“ADC”) readout phase of the pixel array, however, the switchable impedance can be set to a low resistance value. For example, the switchable impedance can be set to 1-10 ohms. Setting the switchable impedance to the high impedance value during the CDS phase can prevent imaging errors such as black hole artifacts. Setting the switchable impedance to the low impedance value during the ADC readout phase can, for example, prevent errors due to ground drift. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120091317 | IMAGING SYSTEMS AND METHODS INCLUDING PIXEL ARRAYS WITH REDUCED NUMBERS OF METAL LINES AND CONTROL SIGNALS - This is generally directed to systems and methods for reduced metal lines and control signals in an imaging system. For example, in some embodiments a pixel cell of an imaging system can operate without a row select transistor, and therefore can operate without a row select metal control line. As another example, in some embodiments a pixel cell can share its reset transistor control line with a transfer transistor control line of another pixel cell. In this manner, an imaging system can be created that averages a single metal line per pixel cell. In some embodiments, operation of such reduced-metal line imaging systems can use modified timing schemes of control signals. | 04-19-2012 |
| 20120019669 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR CALIBRATING IMAGE SENSORS - Systems and methods are provided for calibrating image sensors. In some embodiments, a processing module of an image system can automatically perform a self-calibration process after a production unit of an image sensor has been integrated into an end product system. For example, the processing module can calibrate a production unit based on one or more reference pixels of the production unit, where the one or more reference pixels have minimal color filtration. In some embodiments, the processing module may perform local calibrations by correcting specifically for spatial variations in a color filter array (“CFA”). In some embodiments, the processing module can perform global calibrations by correcting for optical density variations in the CFA. In some embodiments, a processing module can determine whether the cause of production variations is related to production variations of a CFA or production variations of an infrared (“IR”) cutoff filter. | 01-26-2012 |
| 20110317048 | IMAGE SENSOR WITH DUAL LAYER PHOTODIODE STRUCTURE - An image system with a dual layer photodiode structure is provided for processing color images. In particular, the image system can include an image sensor that can include photodiodes with a dual layer photodiode structure. In some embodiments, the dual layer photodiode can include a first layer of photodiodes (e.g., a bottom layer), an insulation layer disposed on the first layer of photodiodes, and a second layer of photodiodes (e.g., a top layer) disposed on the insulation layer. The first layer of photodiodes can include one or more suitable pixels (e.g., green, blue, clear, luminance, and/or infrared pixels). Likewise, the second layer of photodiodes can include one or more suitable pixels (e.g., green, red, clear, luminance, and/or infrared pixels). An image sensor incorporating dual layer photodiodes can gain light sensitivity with additional clear pixels and maintain luminance information with green pixels. | 12-29-2011 |
| 20110310278 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADAPTIVE CONTROL AND DYNAMIC RANGE EXTENSION OF IMAGE SENSORS - Systems and methods are provided for obtaining adaptive exposure control and dynamic range extension of image sensors. In some embodiments, an image sensor of an image system can include a pixel array with one or more clear pixels. The image system can separately control the amount of time that pixels in different lines of the pixel array are exposed to light. As a result, the image system can adjust the exposure times to prevent over-saturation of the clear pixels, while also allowing color pixels of the pixel array to be exposed to light for a longer period of time. In some embodiments, the dynamic range of the image system can be extended through a reconstruction and interpolation process. For example, a signal reconstruction module can extend the dynamic range of one or more green pixels by combining signals associated with green pixels in different lines of the pixel array. | 12-22-2011 |
| 20110285737 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR LOCAL TONE MAPPING OF HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGES - This is generally directed to systems and methods for local tone mapping of high dynamic range (“HDR”) images. For example, a HDR image can have its larger dynamic range mapped into the smaller dynamic range of a display device. In some embodiments, to perform the local tone mapping, a RGB to Y converter can be used to convert the input image signal to a luminance signal in the YCgCo color space, a shape adaptive filter can be used to separate the luminance signal into its illumination and reflectance components, contrast compression can be applied to the illumination component, image sharpening can be applied to the reflectance component, and the processed illumination and reflection components can be used to calculate a processed RGB signal. The dynamic range of the processed RGB signal can then be mapped into the dynamic range of the display device. | 11-24-2011 |
| 20110273546 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR PRESENCE DETECTION - Systems and methods are provided for presence detection using an image system. The image system may be a camera that is integrated into an electronic device. In some embodiments, the image system can accommodate multiple operating modes of the electronic device. For example, when the electronic device is operating in a normal power mode, control circuitry of the image system can detect when a user has left and is no longer using the electronic device. When the electronic device is operating in a power saving mode, the control circuitry can detect user presence (e.g., when a user has come back to the electronic device). In some embodiments, the control circuitry can adjust for both gradual and sudden light changes. | 11-10-2011 |
| 20110264722 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR AN ADJUSTABLE FILTER ENGINE - Systems and methods are provided for an adjustable filter engine. In particular, an electronic system is provided that can include a focus module, memory, and control circuitry. In some embodiments, the focus module can include an adjustable filter engine and a motor. By using the adjustable filter engine to generate a filter with a large number of filter coefficients, the control circuitry can accommodate a variety of system characteristics. For example, by generating a set of cumulative coefficients and re-arranging the order of the cumulative coefficients, the control circuitry can reduce the bit-width requirements of the adjustable filter engine hardware. For instance, the control circuitry can reduce the number of multipliers required to perform a convolution between an updated filter and one or more input signals. In some embodiments, the updated filter can be generated to reduce oscillations of the motor movement due to a new position request. | 10-27-2011 |
| 20110182474 | EFFICIENT SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACE TRACKING - A method of scanning a scene using an image sensor includes (a) dividing the scene into multiple first portions; and scanning a first portion for presence of objects in an object class. The method further includes continuing the scanning of the multiple first portions for presence of other objects in the scene. The method also selects a second portion of the scene, in response to detecting an object in the first portion; and then tracking the object in the selected second portion. The second portion of the scene is selected based on estimating motion of the object detected in the first portion, so that it may still be located in the second portion. | 07-28-2011 |
| 20110128407 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR IMAGE RESTORATION - Systems and methods are provided for focus recovery of multi-channel images. Control circuitry of an imaging system can restore an image by removing image blurring introduced by the lens, sensor noise introduced by the sensor, and a signal offset between multiple channels of the image. In some embodiments, the control circuitry can calculate one or more estimates of a signal offset of multiple observed signals. Using statistics generated from offset-removed signals, the control circuitry can generate one or more recovery kernels which can be applied to offset-removed signals to generate recovered signals. In other embodiments, instead of explicitly removing a signal offset from each observed signal, the control circuitry can implicitly remove the signal offset when calculating the first and second order statistics of one or more observed signals. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110127628 | ION IMPLANTATION TO CHANGE THE OPTICAL PROPERTIES OF THE PASSIVATION FILMS IN CMOS IMAGER DEVICES - Imager sensor pixels, image sensor and methods for forming image sensors. An image sensor pixel includes a photosensor, a microlens that receives incident light, at least one fabrication layer between the photosensor and the microlens and a passivation layer between the microlens and the at least one fabrication layer. The passivation layer includes a plurality of impurities and passes the incident light from the microlens to the photosensor without substantially redirecting the incident light. | 06-02-2011 |
| 20110119405 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR ADDRESSING AND SYNCHRONIZING MULTIPLE DEVICES - This is generally directed to systems and methods for control of two or more devices through a shared control bus. For example, the devices can be coupled to a host system through the control bus. In some embodiments, the devices can be configured by the host system through address select pins of the devices. For example, the host system can sequentially program each device to change its default address to a unique address. In some embodiments, an event can be propagated through each device, thus resulting in each device receiving the event at a different time. In some embodiments, configuration by the host system can include programming each device with a value representing its own position in the chain. In this case, a device can use this value to delay its response to the event, thereby allowing all the devices in the chain to respond to the event simultaneously. | 05-19-2011 |
| 20110054872 | OPTICAL SIMULATOR USING PARALLEL COMPUTATIONS - Systems and methods are provided for performing optical simulations using parallel computations. In some embodiments, the optical simulations can be performed on a computer system using raw image data provided by a camera. The computer system may include a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU), where the GPU may be configured for the parallel computations. The CPU can build a lookup table of lens characterization data, such as point spread function (PSF) data. Using the lookup table, the GPU can perform the optical simulations. For example, the GPU can compute a plurality of convolutions in parallel, each using PSF data and a window of pixels. The result of each convolution may produce a pixel value that approximates the effect of the lens on that pixel. | 03-03-2011 |
| 20110032413 | AUTO-FOCUSING TECHNIQUES BASED ON STATISTICAL BLUR ESTIMATION AND ASSOCIATED SYSTEMS AND METHODS - This is generally directed to auto-focusing techniques based on statistical blur estimation. An image can be captured at two or more candidate lens positions. The amount of blur of each image can then be determined, and the image containing the least amount of blur can be chosen as the “in-focus” image. In some embodiments, the amount of blur of an image can be determined by identifying how “Gaussian” an image is. Characteristics that are more Gaussian in nature can indicate that the image is more blurry. The Gaussianity of an image can be determined by estimating a generalized Gaussian shape parameter for that image. A smaller shape parameter can indicate the image is less Gaussian in nature. The shape parameter can be estimated in any suitable manner such as, for example, through a 2-d discrete wavelet transform, through a 1-d discrete wavelet transform, or through any other suitable manner. | 02-10-2011 |
| 20100316254 | USE OF Z-ORDER DATA IN AN IMAGE SENSOR - Systems and methods are provided for detecting objects of an object class, such as faces, in an image sensor. In some embodiments, the image sensor can include a detector with an image buffer. The image buffer can store image data in raster order. The detector can read the data out in Z order to perform object detection. The image data can then compute feature responses using the Z-ordered image data and determine whether any objects of the object class are present based on the feature responses. In some embodiments, the detector can downscale the image data while the object detection is performed and use the downscaled image data to continue the detection process. In some embodiments, the image data can perform detection even if the image is rotated. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100315523 | OBJECT DETECTION USING AN IN-SENSOR DETECTOR - Systems and methods are provided for detecting an object of object class, such as faces, in an image sensor. In some embodiments, the image sensor can provide a scan sequence that scans a scene over multiple time intervals. The image sensor can scan, in succession, portions of a scene, where each of the portions covers a different amount or location of the scene. This way, the scanned portions can be saved in an image buffer that is sized significantly smaller than an entire frame. In some embodiments, when the image sensor detects the presence of an object of the object class, the image sensor can store positional information (e.g., location and size of the object) in a region of interest buffer. The image sensor can output the positional information to aid an electronic device, such as a camera, perform various functions, such as automatic exposure and color balancing. | 12-16-2010 |
| 20100310190 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR NOISE REDUCTION IN HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE IMAGING - This is generally directed to systems and methods for noise reduction in high dynamic range (“HDR”) imaging systems. In some embodiments, multiple images of the same scene can be captured, where each of the images is exposed for a different amount of time. An HDR image may be created by suitably combining the images. However, the signal-to-noise ratio (“SNR”) curve of the resulting HDR image can have discontinuities in sections of the SNR curve corresponding to shifts between different exposure times. Accordingly, in some embodiments, a noise model for the HDR image can be created that takes into account these discontinuities in the SNR curve. For example, a noise model can be created that smoothes the discontinuities of the SNR curve into a continuous function. This noise model may then be used with a Bayer Filter or any other suitable noise filter to remove noise from the HDR image. | 12-09-2010 |
| 20100303383 | SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR THE EFFICIENT COMPUTATION OF IMAGE TRANSFORMS - Image transforms that can be performed through a reverse lookup process in which output pixel addresses of an output image are reverse transformed into input pixel addresses. In some embodiments, rather than reverse transforming all output pixel addresses, a subset of output pixel addresses can be reverse transformed to calculate transformed addresses. The reverse transforms of all output pixel address may then be approximately calculated by interpolating the transformed addresses. The approximately transformed addresses can then be used as read addresses to a memory storing the input image. | 12-02-2010 |
| 20100225243 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONTROLLING POWER TO PIXELS IN AN IMAGER - A system for controlling power applied to pixels in an imager. A first switch coupling the internal power node of the pixels to the power supply of the imager. A second switch coupling the internal power node of the pixels to a ground potential or low potential. The first and second switches are controlled complimentary to each other during integration and readout of the pixels. A third switch providing a high impedance mode where the internal power node and n+ guard ring are isolated from the operating and ground potentials. | 09-09-2010 |
| 20100177203 | APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR LOCAL CONTRAST ENHANCED TONE MAPPING - Methods and systems for enhancing an image. Respective local contrast values are determined for selected pixels of the image by, for each selected pixel, adjusting a respective luminance value of the pixel by an average luminance value of neighboring pixels to obtain the local contrast value. Respective tone-mapped values are determined for further selected pixels in the image based on a global luminance value representing the image. The local contrast values and the tone-mapped values are combined, respectively, for the corresponding pixels in the image to produce the enhanced image. | 07-15-2010 |
| 20100110254 | VLN BIASING SCHEME TO ACHIEVE LOW VERTICAL SHADING FOR HIGH-SPEED AND LARGE-FORMAT CMOS IMAGE SENSORS WITH TOP/BOTTOM READOUT SCHEME - A VLN biasing scheme implemented in an image sensor with top/bottom readout. A first and second current sink coupled to the top of a first column of pixels and a second column of pixels respectively. A third and fourth current sink coupled to the bottom of a first column of pixels and a second column of pixels respectively. During column readout, each current sink sinks an equal amount of current. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100110241 | MULTI ILLUMINANT SHADING CORRECTION USING SINGULAR VALUE DECOMPOSITION - Methods and systems for determining shading correction coefficients of an imaging device. An inversion surface is determined based on an image captured by the imaging device. The inversion surface is approximated using the captured image and eigenvectors associated with singular values of the inversion surface, to form multiple reconstruction weights. A polynomial fit is applied to: i) the multiple reconstruction weights to determine a first set of polynomial coefficients and ii) the eigenvectors to determine a second set of polynomial coefficients. The first and second sets of polynomial coefficients are used to form the shading correction coefficients. | 05-06-2010 |
| 20100014779 | METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR REDUCING ARTIFACTS IN IMAGE DETECTION - An imager captures light reflecting off an object of interest and generates two or more images of the object. A controller identifies one or more non-interpretation regions in one of the captured images and uses the non-interpretation regions to reduce a number of artifacts in a final image. | 01-21-2010 |
| 20100002126 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FOCUSING A DIGITAL CAMERA - A method of focusing a digital camera module with an image sensor including capturing an image of a test target with the digital camera module, determining a focus quality of the image with the image sensor, outputting a signal related to the focus quality of the image from the digital camera module to a focusing station external to the digital camera module, and determining whether a position of a lens from the image sensor within the digital camera module should be altered to improve a focus quality of subsequently captured images. | 01-07-2010 |
| 20090207284 | METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR CONTROLLING ANTI-BLOOMING TIMING TO REDUCE EFFECTS OF DARK CURRENT - An electronic imager includes a plurality of pixels having photosensors for accumulating charge corresponding to individual pixel values of a sensed image. Each of the pixels includes an anti-blooming function which allows charge in excess of a predetermined amount to be drained from the photosensor thus reducing the charge from the pixel that migrates to adjacent pixels. The imager also includes circuitry which controls the anti-blooming function in response to image intensity to reduce dark current in the imager caused by the anti-blooming function. | 08-20-2009 |
| 20090140660 | PULSE-CONTROLLED LIGHT EMITTING DIODE SOURCE - A light-emitting diode array is driven by a digital control. The digital control modulates the pulse width of pulses applied to the light-emitting diode. The intensity of the output is controlled by controlling the width of pulses applied to the light-emitting diode. Since light-emitting diodes have very low inertial energy, this system can be rapidly turned on and turned off. The output is integrated to produce a uniform output. | 06-04-2009 |
| 20090081822 | OPTICAL ENHANCEMENT OF INTEGRATED CIRCUIT PHOTODETECTORS - A semiconductor integrated circuit structure and method for fabricating. The semiconductor integrated circuit structure includes a light sensitive device integral with a semiconductor substrate, a cover dielectric layer disposed over the light sensitive device, and a lens-formation dielectric layer disposed over the cover dielectric layer. Light is transmittable though the cover dielectric layer, and through the lens-formation dielectric layer. The lens-formation dielectric layer forms an embedded convex microlens. The microlens directs light onto the light sensitive device. | 03-26-2009 |
